Home to the towering snow-capped peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the wildebeests and gazelles of the Serengeti, and the legendary spices of Zanzibar, it’s no wonder Tanzania has captured the imaginations of many. Although it is a rising star on the tourist map, Tanzania is still a predominantly rural and agricultural society, and it has struggled to improve basic infrastructure and expand educational and healthcare systems. World Endeavors volunteers in Tanzania make a difference in the lives of the Tanzanian people through hard work and a commitment to promoting a brighter future for this extraordinary country.
ABOUT MONDULI
The district of Monduli is located within the Arusha region, in northeastern Tanzania. It is an extremely popular spot for tourists to learn how the local Maasai people live as well as observe the natural environment. Numerous attractions such as Lake Manyara, Mount Meru, Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro can be found nearby and are the wonders of the region.
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, though exceptions to this age requirement may be made on a case-by-case basis. Successful volunteers are hardworking, flexible, and open to truly immersing themselves in the culture. Keep in mind that all countries have different visa restrictions for varying types of passports.
Aaron is a Physics and Math High School Teacher who went to the University of Minnesota. He did a World Endeavors Teaching volunteer program in Tanzania.
“From my experience abroad, I gained a whole new level of confidence in myself. I went outside of my comfort zone to travel alone to a new country in order to help others. I gained a further appreciation for other cultures, and a knowledge that other parts of the world are extremely different and yet similar at the same time. I learned of my love to volunteer, and a deeper passion for traveling.”
- Samantha, Volunteer in Tanzania
World Endeavors volunteers in Tanzania live and work in the district of Monduli. World Endeavors volunteers in Tanzania can contribute to the following projects:
Volunteers work alongside members of the community to care for, educate and empower underprivileged children.
Volunteers interested in Community Development can choose from the following projects:
Community Construction
Volunteers work to strengthen their host community by addressing some of its most pressing needs and sharing their skills and compassion with the people they meet.
Maasai Tribal Immersion
To learn about the Maasai culture is one thing… but why not be a part of it! This is your chance to learn from the experience of being and doing. You can see the Maasai way of life up close and participate in the many activities that are typical of their daily lives.
During this Maasai Village Homestay, you will be welcomed to stay within their village, learn about their culture, and participate in their daily tasks. Tasks are always divided, with men usually taking care of and/or selling the tribe’s cattle, while women will take part in milking, cooking, finding firewood and taking care of babies and even constructing the houses in the boma. You will find that there will be plenty of opportunities to explore Maasai culture more, in the way of interaction, and communication, as well as, exchanges of ideas and experiences. You will even have a chance to learn beadwork with the women in the village or how to make Maasai sandals from the men or to teach the village children some basic English and play sports with them.
The Maasai are a proud people, who do their best to preserve their unique culture. They are quite possibly one of the most emblematic tribes of East Africa. With a Nilotic ethnic background, they live in the northern Tanzanian and southern Kenya regions. The Maasai are known for their nomadic lifestyle (although, since the ’90s, the Tanzanian government passed a bill in which they were forced to settle in a single place), their colorful dress code, their beaded jewelry, and awe-inspiring traditions.
The Maasai people have a very traditional way of living, with most relatives all living in the same family compound, which is traditionally known as a boma. They were nomadic people, as traditionally Maasai would move with their cattle from one grazing place to another. Today, these animals are still how they earn their income. Through the sale of their cattle and cattle products, they would make just enough money to survive and move on. Interestingly, the NGO, Oxfam, claims that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands.
Maasai culture can seem very different to Westerners. For example, men can be married to several women depending on how rich the man is, this status usually dependent on how many cattle he owns! There are actually financial reasons for a Maasai family to have many wives, as a larger family allows more hands to take care of their cattle, cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys.
Due to the remote location of this program and limited local transportation, Participants may need to stay the first night in Monduli and travel the next morning to the village.
Volunteers interested in Environmental Conservation can participate in the following project:
Environmental Conservation
Experience Tanzania by taking part in its local conservation efforts around the rural outback of Monduli. Get involved in forestry efforts, teaching classes on environmental conservation, tree planting and more! This program is part of an effort to preserve the local environment and offer important environmental awareness to the local community in Monduli.
This program works with an environmental club through a local school to increase student awareness of environmental issues, and encourage them to join the cause. You’ll be contributing your time on this campaign and planting seeds to nurture responsible future citizens of the world.
Another component of this project is caring for Monduli's rainforests through reforestry, in order to help preserve the health of the atmosphere. These rainforests also provide the perfect environment for beekeeping! Bee sustainability and pollination is critical for this environment as well as our entire Earth, and we should all fight to restore the world’s bee population.
Our bee efforts bring about a ‘sweet’ side effect too! Local villagers enjoy our bees' natural honey, which not only provides nutritious health benefits, but they may even earn a bit of extra income when there is a surplus of honey to sell.
Your daily tasks will be a combination of activities dependent on the weather and season. You can expect to work on tree planting in the forest or in community spaces, tree nursery tasks, beekeeping and arranging classes with the environmental club in the school or community halls directed at local kids and teenagers.
All are welcome to join this program, especially those working or studying in the forestry field, as this will be a great opportunity to work alongside park rangers and exchange your knowledge with them.
Volunteers in health education help to increase public knowledge about diseases and their prevention.
Volunteers interested in Healthcare can participate in the following project:
Medical Placement – Monduli
Be part of a medical program at a local hospital in Arusha, Tanzania and gain valuable knowledge and skills alongside local professionals. This is a great opportunity for prospective medical students to not only hone their medical skills through international work experience, but also provide medical assistance to people and places with less resources available to them.
The hospital is an institution established in 1975 which is operated by a religious order in the community, and initially focused on providing medical care to expectant mothers and children. As the population grew in Arusha, the need for varied care grew as well. Over time this medical facility has grown to become the second largest hospital in Arusha with an in-patient capacity of 100 and well over 100 staff members. It now handles patients in Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Maternity, Radiology, Dentistry, and Care, Treatment and Coordination activities for people living with HIV, and also an operating room that does an average of 50-70 procedures per month.
Participants can expect to engage in a range of activities depending upon their level of skill and education as they shadow local doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals caring for people receiving in-patient and outpatient care. This may include monitoring, observing and providing health outreach information to the community.
You are welcome to contribute to the hospital by not only sharing your skills, but also through donations of additional resources, helping to bridge the financial gap and supporting the community to the best of their ability and capacity.
You must have an established medical background, and either be on a pre-medical track, or studying medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational or physical therapy, or working in a relevant field.
There is an additional fee for this project of $110 per week.
Volunteers interested in Teaching can participate in the following project:
English Teaching
Meet a new generation of eager students and help improve their English as a community teacher in Tanzania! Teach in local schools in the district of Monduli and help the students broaden their minds. It will also be a fulfilling experience for you! Friendly school teachers will provide guidance and lesson plans for you based on their curriculum. Take part in informal group activities involving games, coloring, books and toys, all with the goal of improving the local children’s English.
We have strong relationships with various primary, secondary, and high schools around the Monduli district in need of teaching support and community leaders, who would like us to organize English learning programs in the local village hall. You will have the chance to teach mathematics and science for higher level students.
You will be assisting local teachers to teach basic English by exchanging songs, and playing educational games. You may also lead the children through activities like handicrafts, sports, drawing, coloring, writing and more! A lot of the children here are quite young and require attention as well as activities to keep them stimulated in order to assist their growth.
Our teaching program is meant for children between the ages of 6 to 14 years old, or grades 1 - 7. You'll have the opportunity to teach English 4-6 hours per day with breaks in between class sessions.
Feel free to bring teaching materials such as games, colored pencils, erasers, English language books, and even clothes and toys to donate! We recommend you also bring pictures or other small objects representing your country of origin, which you could also turn into an educational lesson that will really broaden the children’s world!
Volunteers interested in Women’s Development can participate in the following project:
Empowering Village Women
Maasai Tribe communities are traditionally patriarchal. This program provides insight into the unique culture of the Maasai Tribe and the impact that is felt when the education of girls is not prioritized. The primary focus is on the development of basic skills and financial literacy of the local women, who are learning how they can earn funds to support themselves and educate their children.
The Maasai community has its own distinct culture, which differs from other societies in Tanzania. They have their own recognizable manner of dress, decorations and lifestyle. The majority of Maasai women throughout the many Maasai communities live a life of poverty and cultural oppression. Men are the heads of the households and the village. They have control of almost every aspect of life and hold almost all the leadership roles.
Most Maasai women devote their time to milking cows, taking care of calves, and domestic work. There are currently very few, if any, opportunities for women related to education and community engagement, which would assist them in having more options for sustainable development in the future.
Some Maasai women are able to earn an income by selling traditional beaded jewelry. However, due to their lack of formal education, these women do not have a way to protect their own economic interests. Here is where you can support the Maasai women - by providing information about making informed financial decisions.
Our goals through this project include:
- Helping Maasai women develop income-generating activities in order to cover the costs of typical expenses for their children, like pens, workbooks, food and security;
- Mobilizing and encouraging women to enroll their kids - both boys and girls - in school, and to prevent early marriage;
- Increasing awareness of economic issues like saving, loans and general financial literacy, by facilitating workshops for the women;
- Assisting in addressing concerns and in finding culturally appropriate solutions to the challenges faced by these women;
- And helping Maasai women in gaining financial self-sufficiency that will improve their quality of life and the quality of life of their children.
The majority of the women in the village do not speak English, so you will be accompanied by a locally-trained coordinator to ensure clear communication between the women and yourself.
Due to the remote location of this program and limited local transportation, you may stay the first night in Monduli.
This project is located in a village outside of Arusha.
Volunteers share their passion for sports while making a difference in the lives of local youth.
Learn more about Tanzania, create new bonds, and immerse yourself in the local culture. This week will take you to important locations related to Tanzania’s culture and history. The week will feature orientation classes and visits to a Maasai Village and other places of interest, all which will help you integrate into the local culture and prepare you for your volunteer experience in this incredible part of the world!
Culture Week is packed with an introduction to local customs and traditions, do’s and dont’s and language classes, as well as a walking safari to observe animals in their natural habitat. You will visit highlights of the amazing town of Monduli, which is a bustling and developing township with rich history and many places of interest such as museums, art galleries and monuments, where you’ll be sure to learn more about this country’s struggle for independence and progress. You will also have plenty of opportunities to explore around the town, and enjoy the scenic roads of the African countryside.
CULTURE WEEK SCHEDULE
- Monday: Orientation, culture class, Swahili language lessons, tour around the local area, hike up the beautiful Monduli mountains
- Tuesday: Visit the Maasai Museum, Snake Park and Handicraft Gallery, experience the local Maasai Livestock Market, then learn to cook traditional Tanzanian cuisine and enjoy the fruits of your labor for dinner
- Wednesday: Tour of Arusha town including the Cultural Heritage Art Gallery, local craft market, the Arusha Museum, and the Arusha Declaration Monument
- Thursday: Walking safari exploring the local terrain and scouting wildlife in their natural habitat, then enjoy participating in some community sports activities
- Friday: Make your own jewelry through a beadwork session with Maasai women, dive into the history of traditional Maasai clothing and learn some of the Maa language, then join an orientation session to prepare you for your volunteer project
Culture Week is an additional $80.
Volunteers stay in a shared volunteer house and stay in shared rooms by gender or with a local host family. Three meals a day on weekdays (two on weekends) are included during your stay. Meals are inspired by the local cuisine and consist of a lot of corn, rice, potatoes, and bananas. Beef, goat meat, beans, and a few green leafy vegetables will help to add nutrients to your daily meals.
The World Endeavors Volunteer in Tanzania program is flexible in duration and can be tailored to last between 1 to 12 weeks. If you have the time, we recommend a stay of at least 4 weeks. Admissions are rolling, and World Endeavors volunteers can choose when they would like to start their program. Due to holidays, traditional vacation schedules, and seasonal work availability, there might be better times than others to volunteer at a specific location or in a specific project.
When you are ready to start planning your volunteer trip to Tanzania, contact us. Our experienced advisors will help you sort through any timing considerations unique to your destination or your volunteer project.
Please wait until after you are accepted into the program and you have received the confirmed arrival and departure dates before you book your flight.
| Program Name | First Week | Each Additional Week |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer In Tanzania | $2,085 | $300 |
INCLUDED FEATURES
- Program Advisor: dedicated, experienced, and accessible for one-on-one guidance
- Local Onsite Coordinator with 24/7 availability; pre and post arrival orientation
- Visa guidance and support
- Comprehensive travel medical insurance
- Travel Protection with 24/7 Emergency Travel Assistance
- Re-entry Support
- Airport reception
- Shared, single gender rooms in volunteer house
- 3 meals per weekday and 2 meals per weekend provided
OTHER BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
- Round-trip transportation to Tanzania
- Visa expenses
- Optional trips and excursions
- Personal expenses
Congratulations on your decision to embark on a life-changing experience abroad! We look forward to working with you to make your trip a memorable, meaningful one. We can accommodate applications received 4 weeks prior to the intended start date up to a year in advance. If your intended start date is less than 4 weeks away, contact World Endeavors for more information.
